Broadside-firing torpedo-tube.



M. F. HAY L F.l GUHRAUER. BROADSIDE FIRING TORPBDO TUBE.

` APPLICATION FILED MAB. 13, 1914. 1, 1 00,676. Patented June 16, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

u NYE I W '734 ATTORNEYS FGTHERINGHAM 'HY AND FERDNAND GUHRAUER, OF DUMBARTGN,

SCOTLAND.

BROADSIDE-FIRING TORPEDO-TUBE.

nieuwe.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 16, 1914.

Application led March 13, 1914. Beral No. 824,436.

vented certain new and useful 'Improve ments in Broadside-Firing Torpedo-Tubes, of which the following is the specification.

l-litherto submerged broadside firing torpedo tubes have not been very successful when fired from ships under way, because the, flow of water past the emergingtorpedo tends to break it off or to jam 1t in the mouth of the tube.

The invention has for its object to obviate this disability.

According to the invention there is vertically pivoted near the muzzle of the torpedo tube proper and within it a secondary tube within which lies the torpedo or the forward portion of it'. The tube proper is of such shape that the secondary tube may swing within it on its pivot through a' horizontal arc adequate for the purpose hereinafter set forthi Thus at a determined point in its travel, the emerging torpedo leaving the tube proper is wholly borne by the secondary tube, which, being` free to swing upon its pivot., allows the emerging torpedo to accommodate itself to the flow of water by swinging out of the direct path of aimto which of course it subsequently returns under the action of its gyroscope.

ln carrying: out this invention according to an illustrative example, the forward end of the tube proper is so attached by a spherical joint (also arranged to prevent leakage) tc a frame that it may-be't'rained through a horizontal arc. This frame is hinged to the ships side for the purpose of permitting the tube to be swung around so that it may be loaded in a narrow ship, and is locked to it when in the tiring position by means of a lool; rinp. rlfhe tube is supported substantially in known manner beneath its center of gravity on a carriage having rollers engagingr an arc of rail on the ships deck. The embrasure is externally closed by a hinged or sliding door operated from within the vessel. 'lho within the tube proper on vertical trunnion pivots coaxial with the spherical joint betweru aube proper and frame. l\leans are provided for admitting and discharginp,`

secondary tube is pivoted` water to and from the tubes. Any convenlent means of firing,` may be used-it being however essential that such should embody a. device whereby the ,Qyroscope of the torpedo is started a certain predeterminato time before the actual tiring takes place.

In operation the tube is loaded from the forward, or after end. the einbrasure being first closed, and the hinged frame unlocked and with the tube swung around upon its hinge so that the tube may be loaded with a torpedo, which without this arrangement would not be possible in a narrow vessel, as the space required. for loading is at least twice the length of the torpedo.

In order that the invention and the Inan ner of performing the same may be properly understood, there is hereunto appended a sheet of explanatory drawings in whichu- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation and Fig. 2 a plan of the improved torpedo tube, while Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line a-a Fig. 1 showingr the locking ring.

As shown in the drawings, the torpedo tube 1 has within it a secondary tube 2 carried by vertical pivots 1 and within which lies the forward end of thev torpedo 3. The torpedo tube 1 is widened for the length of the secondary tube Q. so that the latter has a certain amount of freedom to swing about its pivots 1 for the purpose hereinafter set forth. To preventleakage past the pivots 4, a ball and socket jointl 32, is provided in the mouth of the tube l.

To allow of the torpedo being trained through a horizontal arc, the forward end of the tube 1 is in the forni of a ball 5 working in socket pieces within, frames G, 7 the latter of which has a stufiing boX 8 to prevent leakage into the ship. The frame 7 is hinged at 9 to the ships side for the purpose of permitting the tube to be swung around so that it may be loaded in a narrow ship and is locked to it when in the tiring position by means of a locking ring 10, the frame 7 and the locking ring 10 being so shaped as to form a bayonet joint. The ring 10 is screwed internally on to a frame 11. and is actuated by means of a worm 1Q working on a rack 13 on its outer circumference. The frame l1 extends inwardly to form an ernbrasure 14 through which the torpedo is fired, Aand which is closed by means of a door 15 hinged on a shaft 1G which is operated by means of a worm 17 engaging a quadrant 18 on one end of the shaft 16. The tube 1 is supported substantially beneath its center of gravity on a carriage 19 having wheels 21 running on an arc of rail 22 on the ships deck, the arc of rail being struck from a pin 20 to which the carriage 19 is pivoted. The tube 1 is borne in this oarriage by wheels 23 which allows limited pressed air by means of a valve 30. The' compressed air is admitted into the tube 1 to lire the torpedo by means of a usual firing valve 31, the valves24, 27, 28, 30 and 31 being operated by hand or by any other suit'- able known means.

In order to insure that the gyroscope of the torpedo 'is started a certain predeterminate time before the latter is fired, there` is provided a firing rod 32 having on it two fingers 33, 34, so positioned on the rod 32 that when it is actuated the finger 33 first engages a trigger 35, which in turn draws back a catch 36 far enough/to start the gyroscope. Further movement of the rod 32 brings .the finger 34 into contact with a series of toggle links 37 which on being actuated release a catch 38 and thus the torpedo. Im-

mediately after the catch is releasedthe rod 32 may also actuate the firing valve 31, in known manner to fire the torpedo. v

In operation, to load the torpedo, the embrasure' 14 in the frame 11 is first closed by the door 15 on the shaft16 operated as here- `inbefore described. The locking ring 10 is then operated by means of the worm 12 and rack 13 until the bayonet joint is unlocked. Then the frame 7 and the torpedo tube 1 are swung around the hinge 9 until the latter isA in the loading position,A that is, length- .wise of the ship, and it is then loaded 'from either the forward or after end. The tube 1 andthe frame 7 are again swung around the hinge 9 and locked in the firing position by means of the locking ring 10. The tube is then flooded with water through the valve 24, the air escaping by the valves 27, 28, and the door 15 swung around the shaft 16 by means of the worm 17 and the quadrant 18 into its open position. The casing 29 around the after part of the tube is then charged with compressed air through the valve 30. The tube is then ready to be red and is swung around the arcl of rail 22 on the ships deck into the aiming position. To fire the torpedo, the rod 32 is actuated until the finger 33 engages the trigger 35, which in turn draws back the catch 36 far enough to start the gyroscope. Further movement of the rod 32 brings the linger 34 into contact with the toggle links 37, which on being operated release the catch 38 and thus the torpedo. The liringvalve 31 may be opened at the same time by the firing rod, and the compressed air from the casing 29 enters the tube 1 and discharges the torpedo. The torpedo as it emerges travels in the line of the tube 1 so long as it remains in the narrow portion of the tube 1, but immediately it is wholly borne by the secondary tube 2 in the wider portion of that tube 1, it is free to swing with the secondary tube 2 about the pivots 4 and so accommodate itself to the pressure of the water iowing past the mouth ,of the tube b y swinging out of the direct path of aimto which, of course, it subsequently returns under the action of its gyroscope. After firing, the door 15 is closed and the water in the tube 1 drained away by means of the valve 24, after which the locking ring 10 may be unfastened and the tube 1 may be again swung into the loading position, all as hereinbefore described.

What we claim is 1. In a broadside firing torpedo tube of the type in which the forward end of the tube is so attached to the ships side that it may be trained through a horizontal arc, a secondary tube pivoted near the muzzle of and lying within the torpedo tube, the tor pedo tubebeing widened for the length of I the latter being widened for the length of the secondary tube, a ball and socket joint in the mouth ofthe torpedo tube and vertical trunnion pivots for the secondary tube in thisjoint and coaxial therewith.

. 3. In a broadsid'e firing torpedo tube of kthe type in which the forward end of the tube 'is so attached to the ships side that it may be trained through a horizontal arc, a secondary tube within the torpedo tube, the latter being widened for the length of the secondary tube, means for pivoting the secondary tube near the muzzle of and within the torpedo tube, and means for hinging the topedo tube on and locking it to the ships si e.

4. In a broadside firing torpedo tube of the type in'which the forward end of the tube is so attached to the ships side that it may be trained through a horizontal arc, a secondary tube within the torpedo tube,.the latter being widened for the length of the secondary tube, a ball and socket joint in the mouth of the torpedo tubel and vertical trunnion pivots for the secondary tube in this joint and coaxial therewith, and means for hing-ing the torpedo tube on and locking it to the ships side.

5. In a broadside firing torpedo tube of the type in which the forward end of the tube iscso attached to the ships side that it may be trained through a horizontal arc, a secondary tube within the torpedo tube, the latter being widened forv the length o'f the secondary tube, means for pivoting the secondary tube near the muzzle of and within the torpedo tube, a vframe on the torpedo tube, a pivot on the ships side to which the frame is attached, a second frame-secured on the ships side, a lock ring screwed internally on to the second frame and making a bayonet joint with the lirst frame, and worm gearing operating the lock ring.

6. In a broadside firing torpedo tube of the type in which the forward end ofthe tube is so attached to the ships-` side that it may be trained through a horizontal are, a secondary tube within the torpedo tube, the latter being widened for the length of. the secondary tube, means for pivoting the secondary tube near the muzzle of and within the torpedo tube, means for hinging the torpedo tube on and locking it to the 'ships side, and means for firing the torpedo and for starting the gyroscope a certain predeterminate time before actual firing takes place. v

7. In a broadside firing torpedo tube of the type in which the forward end of the tube is so attached to the ships side that it may be trained through a horizontal arc, a secondary tube within the torpedo tube, the latter being widened for the length of the secondary tube, a ball and socket joint in the mouth of the torpedo tube and vertical trunnion pivots \for the secondary tube in this joint and coaxial therewith, means for hinging the torpedo tube on and locking it to the ships side, and means for tiring the torpedo and for starting the gyroscope a certain predeterminate time place. 8. In a .broadside ring torpedo tube of the type in which the forward end of the tube is so attached to the ships side that it before actual firing takes ,maybe trained through a horizontal arc, a

tube, a pivot on the ships side to which the frame is attached, a second frame secured on the ships side, a lock ring screwed inter-v lnally on to the second frame and making a bayonet joint with the first frame, and worm gearing operating the lock ring, and means for firing the torpedo and for starting the gyroscope a certain predeterminate time before actual firing takes place.

9. In a broadside ring torpedo tube of the type in which the forward end of the tube is so attached to the ships side that it may be trained through a horizontal arc, a secondary tube within the torpedo tube, the latter being widened for the length of the secondary tube, means for vivoting the secondary tube near the muzz e of and within the torpedo tube, and means for hinging the torpedo tube on and locking it to the ships side, a casing surrounding the after part of the torpedo tube, a valve through which the casing is' charged with compressed air, a firing valve a mitting the compressed air from the casing to the tube, a firing rod and mechanism operated thereby, by which the torpedo is released and fired, andvby which the gyroscope is started a certain predeterminate time before actual firing takes place. In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

` MARLEY FOTHERINGHAM HAY. FERDINAND GUHRAUER. f Witnesses: J AMES EAGLEsoM, DAVID FERGUSON.

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